Taking on the Storm
by katoniss
Summary: Cato Evans, the most famous and wanted man in the world, is looking for someone to help him in his career. What happens when Katniss Everdeen, his ex-best friend, signs up for the job? Will they be able to take on the storm that is between them? Or will the storm grow stronger, causing problems for them? {Modern Day}
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! Welcome to my new story! I am truly sorry about not updating in a long time. I had surgery quite recently actually. The surgery prevented me from writing, especially since the area they worked on was on my wrist. Then a few weeks after my surgery, I learned that I had a soft tissue infection so I was hospitalized for a few days. I was released from the hospital this week. Luckily they were able to clear the infection, so now I'm just waiting until my wrist heals. It's been hard trying to type with one hand, but I managed to pull through and write this fanfiction! The next chapter of 'Our Story' will be up soon (hopefully). And I don't know when I will be able to update 'Found you', but I'm hoping I'll get it typed up ASAP.**

**For now, please enjoy the first chapter of Taking on the Storm (TOTS)!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

><p>"Class is dismissed!" our professor yells. Everyone in our class grabs their stuff and heads out the door, back to their residents. I head straight to my red Volkswagen and call up my boyfriend, Gloss.<p>

"Hello?" A deep, husky voice asks the phone. I love his voice.

"Hey baby," I reply happily as I sit in my car. "I just got out of class. I was wondering if you want to go grab some coffee or something then eat dinner."

"Sure Kat that's fine with me. I have to do something first, but I'll meet you up at Starbucks in Times Square in 30 okay?" he says.

"Alright." Muffled screams rang through the phone.

"Okay babe. I got to go now. See you later. I love you."

"I love you too," I sing and he laughs.

"Wear something sexy okay?" he purrs.

"Anything for you sweetheart," I giggle. Yelling echoes through the phone again.

"Sorry," he apologizes. "I'm coming! Calm your tits Cashmere!" he yells.

"Sister trouble?" I joke.

"Yeah."

"Well don't keep her waiting."

"Anyone can wait if it means getting to spend more time with you for all I care."

"Stop Gloss. You're making my blush," I smile.

"That was the intent.' I imagine him smirking. More shouts rang through the phone.

"I have to go now babe. My sister awaits," he sighs.

"Alright, bye. Love you."

"Love you more," he smiles then hangs up. I put my phone into my purse and take what I need from my car. Then I walk back to the residence hall which is on campus in Juilliard. I enter my room and spot my roommate, Madge, in her pajamas, sitting on her bed reading a magazine. Her long, flowing, blond hair cascades over her broad shoulders.

"Hey!" she greets cheerily, looking up from her magazine.

"Hey," I reply as I set down some of my stuff on my bed. I open up my closet and reach for my favorite outfit that wasn't too fancy or too casual. It consists of a black skater skirt with a nice white blouse.

"Going somewhere?" Madge asks.

"Yeah. Times Square with Gloss." She nods. Then I change and put on a little makeup. Before I head out the door, I slip on a pair black wedges and bid Madge a goodbye.

I clumsily shuffle to my car in my killer heels. They're cute and they make me appear a few inches taller, but they are really difficult to walk in. Managing to get inside my car without tripping, I start the engine and back out of the driveway. Times Square is about a five minute drive from Juilliard.

I finally make my way out of the horrendous traffic of vehicles and pull up into a small parking space. To avoid sitting in the car for awhile, I decide to walk on foot to Starbucks. But before I do that, it wouldn't hurt to stroll around a little bit. I am early anyways.

The amount of people seems to increase the more I pass down the roads. People are causing traffic everywhere. They walk across the street not even bothering to look if the light is green or if a car is present. One woman, who was crossing the street, was almost run over by a taxi.

As I haul to a stop at the corner of the sidewalk, I take in my surroundings. It is a typical day in Times Square. Cars, taxis, and bus fill the large streets creating traffic. There was an occasional honk of a horn and loud cursing when a driver was being stupid; typical New Yorkers. Colors, billboards, lights, and humongous advertisements make the area seem alive and well. Tall buildings tower over my head everywhere I glance. Massive amounts of people are scattered all over the place, walking, socializing, texting, dancing, singing, and admiring the beautiful neon colors of Times Square. Today is busier than normal. I carefully examine everyone's faces. Then my eyes land on someone across the street who is acting very strange. He is wearing some sort of disguise – a pair of sunglasses and a cap – to hide his face from the public's eyes. The man looks around here every once in a while like he's expecting someone to attack him. I squint my eyes to get a better look at him. It was difficult since many people were passing by him.

The man is tall – probably around 6' 2" – and broad-shouldered. He looks around my age, which is 23. His beautiful blond peeks out from underneath his black cap. Classic black Ray-Bans conceal most of his face, which makes it even harder to identify who he is.

I cross the street to get a clearer glance at him. Making sure he doesn't spot me, I slip in through the large crowd that is a few yards away from him. Luckily, everyone in the crowd is too captivated by the mime to move. I look back at him; he hasn't moved from his spot, but now I can see what he's wearing. He wears a simply light blue button down shirt along with dark pants. To complete the outfit, he has a pair of worn down converse. I'm not going to lie; he was stunningly hot. He rolls up his sleeves. Something was on his left arm. I look at it closer, instantly turning pale at what I just saw. _No. It couldn't be._ _I must be imagining _things. Staring at it again, the words become clearer. My heart sinks; I'm not imagining things. On the man's arm is a small tattoo that says '3.21.2001.' I only know one person who has a tattoo like that and there possibly can't be another person in this world that does – unless it's a coincidence. Cato Evans, my ex-best friend after he left me and started ignoring my messages, is the owner of that tattoo. He was 16 when he got it. We were facetiming when he revealed it to me. And little did I know, the FaceTime call that I had with him would be the last time we were going to talk to each other.

_"__Hey Kat," Cato smiles, obviously glad to see me. I stop what I was doing and pick up my phone._

_"__Hey Cato!" I exclaimed. We haven't spoken to each other in two days. "How's life down in LA Mr. Superstar?"_

_"__Fine. The record deal is working out smoothly. I'm working on my new song," he explains while settling on his bed._

_"__Oooh! Cool, I'm so happy for you," I answer truthfully. _

_"__So how's your life?" he asks._

_"__Busy as always. Junior year will be the death of me," I groan. "My teachers seem to enjoy killing us with excessive amounts of homework, quizzes and tests." He laughs. Butterflies pit in my stomach. His laugh is so beautiful._

_"__Don't die just yet. I still need you," he pleads jokingly_

_"__Alright Cato, but no promises." This causes him to chuckle._

_ "__There's the Katniss I know," Cato jokes. "Hey, wanna see what I got recently?" he asks, changing the subject._

_"__Sure,' I reply as I doodle on my binder._

_"__Okay, wait a second," he tells me, sitting up on his bed then flipping his camera. I stop drawing and look at my phone. Something is on his arm. I couldn't see what it is since the camera is still focusing. The image becomes clear and I see a tattoo of numbers that look like a specific date on his arm._

**_3.21.2001_**

_"__It's a date," he smiles. He flips the camera back show I could see his face. I take it in for a moment, just thinking. March 21, 2001. March 21, 2001. I gasp and his laughs when he realizes that I figured it out. March 21, 2001 was when my dad taught Cato and I how to play the guitar. After that, both of us wanted to pursue the music dream. That day changed my life because I finally figured out what I wanted to do._

_"__March 21, 2001," I whisper, still processing everything. "I can't believe you got a tattoo of that date on your arm. But aren't you underage?" I ask._

_"__Yes, but my parents allowed me to get one."_

_"__Oh."_

_"__Why?"_

_"__Why, what?" he questions in confusion._

_"__Why did you get it?"_

_"__That day turned my life around. I finally found a reason to live and to be happy because of music. You know, the world wouldn't be the same without music. It will be almost bland, boring even. Music lets us express ourselves, our feelings, our emotions," he pauses from his speech._

_"__Okay poet man. You can quit the weird poetry talk," I giggle as I begin drawing shapes again_

_"__Yes mother," he mocks. Then his face turns serious. "Oh shit, speaking of mom. I gotta do something for her." He leaves his phone and his bed and I hear shuffling._

_"__Then go do it," I reply, still doodling_

_"__Okay, bye. I'll talk to you soon, alright?" His face pops back onto the screen. He holds a lot of things in his hands._

_"__Kay. Bye Catty. Have fun," I say in a little kid's voice, using my old nickname for him._

_"__Whatever Kitty-Kat," he rolls his eyes then hangs up._

The man looks my way as my thoughts end. _Crap._ I duck behind a tall person, hoping he doesn't see him. Peeking behind the man, I see that he's still staring in my direction. He turns away when he loses interest. I inwardly sigh._ That was close. _I check my phone to see what time it is. _Shit. It's almost five. Gloss is probably on his way right now._

Frantically looking around to find the Starbucks, I find out that it's just my luck when the man – who possibly could be my ex-best friend – is standing near the entrance of the store. _How come I didn't notice that before? Stupid Katniss, you weren't paying attention._ Now I realize that I can't avoid him, he will see when I go through the door. Taking a deep breath, I walk out of the crowd and towards Starbucks as quickly as possible. I keep my head low so he won't see my face. As I approach the door, the man notices me. _Fucking fantastic._

"Let me help you ma'am." His low voice sending chills down my spine. That voice belongs to none other than Cato Evans. I play it off cool, pretending to not know who he is. He holds open the door for me. I glance up. He looks even more beautiful from up close._ Wait, what?_

"Thank you," I force a smile.

"Anything for a beautiful woman like you miss," his wears his signature smirk. I hide my blush by looking down then walk in. The door closes behind me and I glance back. No wonder why he's wearing a hat and sunglasses, he's hiding from the paparazzi. I'm surprised that nobody noticed him yet.

I focus back at what's in front of me. The smell of freshly roasted coffee fills my noses. I close my eyes and take a in a deep breath, enjoying the smell.

"Katniss!" a voice breaks out. Looking in the direction of the voice, my eyes land on Gloss, my amazing boyfriend. I hobble to him.

"Hey baby," I reply. He tenderly kisses me for a moment. I sink into the kiss. I pull back and look at what he's wearing.

His plain white t-shirt brings out the muscles in his body. You could see his toned abdomen even when he's wearing a shirt. His black pants make his shirt and his white shoe pop out. Gloss' blond hair is gelled back, making him appear a few years younger than he already is. The most striking feature is his beautiful emerald green eyes. It's something about them that makes me lost whenever I look into them. Someone can stare at them all day and not get bored looking at it.

"You look nice," I complement.

"You do too," he says at first. "No. You look more than 'nice.' You look beautiful. Almost as radiant as the sun," he gushes.

"Stop it," I giggle.

"I got us our usual," he smiles, lifting up two cups of coffee. He passes me a cup and I take a sip.

"Salt Caramel Mocha," I gasp. "You know me so well." The hot liquid slightly burns my mouth, but I don't care; it's too good not to care.

We talk about our day and then he takes me out to dinner. It was perfect. We laughed, joked, held hands, kissed, ate, and simply socialized. I got back to my car at around 7:20. My phone rings. It was a call from Gale.

"What?" I answer turning on my Bluetooth.

"Well hello to you too Catnip. I'm fine, thank you. You surely know how to treat a best friend nicely," Gale replies sarcastically. I tell him about my encounter with Cato.

"You saw him? So you're telling me he's here in Manhattan, right now," Gale practically yells in disbelief.

"Yes," I reply softly, as I park the car then turn off the Bluetooth. I grab the phone and put it against my ear.

"When I see that little fucker I will–"

"Gale. No, you will cause a scene if you do."

"SO?! He deserves it." I wince at his loud yelling.

"Gale, will you stop yelling? At this rate, I will go deaf soon."

"Sorry Catnip. I just want to protect you. A girl like you doesn't deserve what he did to you," Gale says.

"I know, but you learn to live with it." I push open the door into my dorm.

"KATNISS!" A girly voice sings. I jump in surprise.

"Sorry Gale, wait a sec," I whisper into the phone.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT MADGE?" I shout to my roommate.

"GET OFF THE PHONE PRONTO AND COME HERE! I GOT SOME IMPORTANT NEWS TO TELL YOU!" I place my hand on my phone so Gale didn't have to hear yelling.

"FINE!" I sigh. "Sorry Gale, I gotta go. Madge has something important to tell me," I apologize into the phone.

"Alright. Bye Catnip. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay." The line goes dead. "LET ME CHANGE INTO MY PJS FIRST!" I tell Madge.

"HURRY!" she yells.

I change into my sleep wear and get ready for bed. After I finish, I come out of the bath room and plop down on my bed which is beside Madge's bed. She is sitting on her bed waiting for me.

"Okay, what did you want to tell me that was _so important_ that I had to hang up on Gale?" I say as I grab my water bottle on my night stand. I look up a Madge and raise an eyebrow. She squirms excitedly.

"I GOT YOU A JOB INTERVIEW WITH CATO EVANS!" she loudly squeals. I almost choke on my water. _Cato Evans?_

"You WHAT?!" I shout in disbelief.

"I got you a job interview with Cato Evans. He is looking for a songwriter and I think you'd be perfect for that spot,"

"But I quit music ever since-" I stop myself before I could say it. But Madge already knows why I quit.

"I know but it wouldn't hurt to try. Please promise me that you'll at least give it a shot?" she asks with wide, begging puppy eyes. "Your dad would also want you to do this if he was with us right now." By the look on my face, she knows that she hit my weak spot. "You know what? That's a great idea! Let me call him right now." She reaches for her phone on the table beside her. Before she could grab it, I snatch it away from her grasp and stick it in the back pocket of my jeans. Madge runs over to my bed and sits next to me. "Hey!" she yells as she attempts to claw for her phone. I stop her by holding her hands together.

"Madge, I'm not doing it," I reply, looking straight into her baby, blue eyes. Baby, blue eyes. Baby, blue eyes just like Peeta's. My Peeta; the boy with the bread; the boy that I still love even though he's gone now. Just the thought of him brings tears to my eyes. _It's all my fault. I wasn't there to save him. He would still be alive if it wasn't for my stupidity._

"Why not?" Madge whines, wriggling free from my grasp. I let go of her hands and put my own hands to my face and sigh. I am too overwhelmed right now, especially with the thoughts of Peeta and Cato invading my mind.

"Because I just can't!" I snap unintentionally. I pause for a moment then realize what I've just done. _Uh oh._ It was probably a bad idea to snap at Madge. She was just trying to be a good friend. I hear Madge sob.

"Well then I'm sorry! Okay? I was just trying to be a nice friend and help you out. But it looks like you don't need my help because you don't even seem grateful that I worked my ass off just to set up your stupid damn interview with Cato! You know how hard it was to get in contact with Cato? Very hard! I had to do a ton of research on him until I found his personal assistant's email. Then I emailed him and he never got back to me until 3 weeks later which was today," Madge practically screams as she grips the bed sheets in anger and frustration. I feel guilty now. "I was planning on this for months to surprise you with something to keep your mind off of Peeta for once. Don't you see that I care about you Katniss?" These words that just spilled out of her mouth made me guiltier. She takes a deep breath, calming herself.

"I know you care about me Madge. You always will since we're best friends," I smile at her as she looks up from her lap. Her face immediately brightens at my words. "And I'm so sorry for snapping at you. I didn't mean to. I was just overwhelmed with all the stuff going on right now. Cato was at Times Square today you know? We both saw each other from across that street."

"You did?" she squeaks. I know that voice. It's the voice she uses right before a bunch of questions begin pouring out of her mouth. I anticipate the moment. Then she begins bombarding me with questions. "Did he recognize you? Did you guys say anything to each other? Does he still wear that friendship bracelet that you gave to him? Did he do anything to you? Does he look even hotter in real life?"

"Woah. Slow your horses."

"Sorry. I ask a lot of questions when I'm excited. You know that," Madge blushes. "But anyways, as cliché as it sounds, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that you_ cannot _refuse!" She emphasizes the 'cannot.' "Not only is he the most wanted man in the world but he is your best friend and your ex-crush."

"Correction, he _was_ my best friend. And Cato probably doesn't even remember who I am."

Both our mothers were very close. When they both found out that they were pregnant, they freaked out. They hoped that their soon-to-be-born babies would be best friends one day. Their wish came true when we were born. Cato and I were best friends since day one. He and I were born on the same year but Cato is a few months older than me. We played together a lot when we were little kids. I remember always going to his house every day for a play date.

As we grew older, our friendship grew stronger. When we were around 10, my dad started teaching us how to play the guitar. This was when both Cato and I found a passion for music. We absolutely loved it. Cato would sing and play the guitar and I would make up songs. We would hang out every day to make music. I would bring my guitar and music sheets and Cato would come over to my house. Then we would sing the songs together and laugh like crazy idiots.

A few years later, everything began to change when I found out that I had feelings for him. I kept it a secret from everyone. Only I knew about it. The feelings began growing stronger every day. I couldn't even look Cato in the eye anymore without blushing or let him hold my hand – like he used to do every day – without feeling little butterflies at the pit of my stomach. Whenever he would talk to me, I'd play it off cool and try not to do anything stupid right in front of him. I was able to control it with practice. Cato didn't notice my feeling towards him because I hide it so well. But when he asked for advice about another girl to me, I also lost control. Luckily, I stopped myself, forced a smile, and pretended to be happy for him that he found a girl that he really liked. Every day he rambled on about her. About how she was the prettiest girl he has ever met, how she enjoyed doing the same things as he did, how he would feel his stomach flip every time he talked to her. My heart would shatter every time he gushed about her, but I still smiled stiffly and gave him advice.

When we were 14, I still had feelings for Cato and he still had feelings for his beautiful mystery girl. We began to grow distance; only hanging out at least once a week instead of every day. I would lock myself in my room and cry on my bed, wishing that I never fell for my best friend. Then one day when we were at his house he told me that he was moving to Los Angeles, moving away from NYC and across the country because his dad got a job transfer. Both of us cried and held each other in our arms for comfort that day.

Our family drove his to the airport the next day. All of us were in tears, especially my two year old sister, Prim. She wailed as she walked through the airport, clutching my mom's hand tightly. When I was time for Cato's family to leave, I hugged every one of the Evans: Mrs. Evans, Mr. Evans, and finally Cato. Our hug was tight. He held me into his strong arms as I sobbed into his chest and he quietly cried to himself.

We promised each other that we would keep it touch. He kept his promise for about a year, texting me every day wondering how I was doing. I would tell him about my day, school, and about the new friends that I met. I told him about Gale and Madge. Cato would tell me about his life in LA. He got a record label. I was truly happy for him. He was pursuing his dream to become a singer.

Eventually the messages, phone calls, and emails started diminishing as he became more famous. He stopped replying after I constantly tried to get ahold of him. I would try to talk to him but he never returned any of my messages. The news came on the next day about the famous Cato Evans – who was thriving and living a happy life while I was drowning in my tears – released his first hit song. He forgot about me. My only childhood friend forgot about me. Everything in my life seemed so sad until Peeta came along and took away my pain. He made me feel special unlike Cato, who never bothered to recognize my feelings for him.

Later, Peeta and I began dating and Cato just became more famous as the days passed by. I really didn't care about him anymore since Peeta was there to help me. My feelings for Cato diminished as my relationship with Peeta grew. Ever since then, I put up a wall and wore a hard mask to protect my feelings. I couldn't let anyone do that to me again. If Cato forgot about me, then so would I. But then Peeta was taken away from me too. I would redo that day when he was gone in a heartbeat.

"Nonsense! This is where you're totally wrong girlfriend. _Nobody_ and I mean _nobody _can ever forget their best friend," Madge exclaims, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Well I found a living example and it's Cato," I sullenly reply, lying down on my bed.

"Come on! Just because he stopped contacting you doesn't mean that he forgot about you. Maybe he was too busy to return your messages. He is a famous singer after all. And the reason why he got a passion for singing was because of your dad. Don't you remember that? Or did you forget that also with your common sense?"

"No. He seemed so happy when he left me," I frown.

"He probably put on a smile for the cameras Katniss! Nobody likes a crying celebrity," Madge explains, running a hand through her long, blond hair.

"No, I don't believe it."

"Stop being stubborn Katniss! There's no backing out now since I already made the appointment."

I sigh since I know that I'm not going to win this argument. When it comes to arguments, Madge is the queen. She can get what she wants simply by using that smart little mouth of hers.

"Fine, I'll do it," I throw my hands up in the air. She squeals in excitement. "But if he's a jackass, then I'm leaving that interview," I say.

"That's cool with me. And if he does that, make sure you tell me so I can beat that bastard. Or I could get Jo to do it for me. I'm still deciding."

"Okay," I yawn as I stretch my arms. "Oh look, we better go to bed. It's 8 already, damn." Time flew by so quickly.

"Your interview is at 4 tomorrow in the hotel Cato is staying at,"

"Alright."

"Get ready for bed Kat. You need your beauty sleep. You've got a _big big _day tomorrow!" she says, mimicking our annoying manners teacher, Ms. Trinket. No wonder why she's not married. If she ever will, I feel bad for the poor man who will be stuck with her. "Oh! And I can give you a makeover!" she exclaims. I inwardly groan. _I absolutely hate makeovers. _The last time someone gave me one…well…let's just say she walked out with a black eye and a busted lip. "When Cato sees you tomorrow, he's gonna wish you were his," Madge smiles.

"He probably already has a girlfriend. And plus, I have the sweetest boyfriend ever." In every photo he's in, I see him with a pretty girl slung on his arm. One of them ought to be his girlfriend. I couldn't help but feel the jealousy course through my veins as I imagine Cato with his girlfriend. _Wait jealousy? You have a boyfriend remember? Sweet, handsome, and rich Gloss. He would never hurt you like what Cato did._

"Those girls in his photos are just his fuck buddies Katniss. All of them are simply one night stands to him," Madge reassures.

"Sure whatever." I get under my bed sheet and close my eyes. "Good night Madge," I mumble.

"Night darling," she soothingly replies as she turns off the lamp in between our beds. Eventually, Madge falls asleep. I lay awake, running through different scenarios that could happen tomorrow when I finally meet Cato after 9 years of not seeing him. Will he remember me? Will he be that cocky bastard that I see on television? Will he still have that bad-boy reputation plastered on his face when I met him? Or will he welcome me with those warm, strong arms of his as he did years ago? I sigh._ Forget about it. Whatever happens, happens._ I finally drift off into sleep, dreaming about what could have happened if I told Cato about my feelings for him.

* * *

><p><strong>And that's Chapter 1 of TotS! Tell me what you thought about this chapter by reviewing. If you liked it, then favorite or follow this story. Sorry if there were any mistakes. I didn't bother proof-reading because I was too lazy. I will be updating my other fanfictions pretty soon. Bye!<strong>

**~catoniss4ever**

**P.S. Who watched Catching Fire? I loved it! It was so good!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'M BACK FFROM THE DEAD! Just kidding. I'm actually back from a long period of inactivity and lost motivation for writing. But now I got it back and I am planning to update all of my stories: Taking on the Storm, Our Story, and Found You. Be excited! I'll give you some updates.**

**Our Story is going to be huge! This is probably one of the most exciting chapters in the story because it is a time when ALL and I mean ALL is revealed. Everything.**

**And for Found You, I just reread it and man, does it sound terrible. I have no idea how I managed to write that crap, so for that story, I will revise the first chapter to improve that lame excuse for writing.**

**For now, please enjoy the second chapter of Taking on the Storm (TOTS)! This is a Cato's POV**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

><p>Cato's POV<p>

"You excited?" my friend and personal assistant, Marvel Quaid, asks me as the captain announces that we will be arriving soon. I gaze intently at my hands, not focusing on what's going on around me. Right now, Marvel and I are flying back to NYC, my hometown, to do a couple of job interviews. All I can think about is a certain dark haired, gray eyed girl that I could see there. She's probably mad at me for what I did to her. I can blame her though, when I left her, it was heart breaking.

We met when we were little kids. Our mothers were the best of friends. I remembered when I would go to her house for play dates and how I would beg my mom if she could come to our house. Those were the good days, especially when she and I were 10. That was when her father taught us how to play the guitar and when I found something that I enjoyed doing.

But things started becoming rocky when the little girl, who I called my best friend, hit puberty. I didn't notice it at first. I finally did when I was 13. That day when we were on the stairs in front of the public library changed my view on her. She was no longer the small, puny girl that I first met. She turned into a young teenage girl, a good-looking one too. She got rid of those black glasses that she wore and replaced them with contacts. She grew taller and curvier. Her hair became glossier and softer. Her eyes twinkled more. Whenever I was with her, I just pretended to be oblivious of her change. She would never like a guy like me.

Every time we hung out, my feelings grew stronger. I finally told her that I liked someone one day. She looked surprised, but she quickly recovered and told me that she was happy for me. Then I took that chance to talk about it. I began to talk and talk and talk about my crush, hoping that if I spoke enough, she would realize that I was talking about her. But she never did. This hurt me. I began to hang out with her less and less to get my mind off of her, but it would never work.

One day, my parent announced the news that we were moving to Los Angeles because my dad got a job transfer. I was absolutely pissed. I had to leave my friends, my home, my school, and most importantly her because of my dad stupid job. Her family drove us to the airport. I could hear sobs from the back of the car as we drove on. At the airport, we said our goodbyes, and left. I promised her that I'd keep in touch.

We settled down in Los Angeles. I immediately became one of the "cool kids" in high school. Girls would cling onto me, but I never acknowledged any one of them. My mind was the grey eyed girl back home. We would talk a lot as I promised. While I was not busy with school and talking to Katniss, I practiced my music. Later I got offered a record deal. I signed it and years later, I became famous. But it still didn't make me happy.

It was hard to talk to her with all the stuff going on in my life. Eventually, I was simply too busy to even talk to her at all. The last time I spoke to her was a Facetime call when I showed her my tattoo. I still have it to remember that day. Ever since I stopped talking to her, I missed her laugh, her smile, her everything. As I became more and more famous, I began to make the wrong choices: hook-up with random girls, smoke, do drugs, and crazy shit like that. I just imagined her looking at what I've become, what I did to myself. She probably despises me now. She never liked any of those things.

"You okay man?" Marvel asks again. This time my focus goes back to him.

"Yeah," I say.

"So you ready to meet some New York girls? I heard they're smokin' hot," Marvel shoots a lopsided grin.

"You have a girlfriend Marv."

"That doesn't mean that I can't check out other girls. And you know I'm just kidding."

"Whatever," I scoff.

"What's up with you today Mr. Grumpy Pants?" Marvel jokes.

"Nothing."

"Maybe we should find you a girlfriend," Marvel suggests.

"No, I'm not into long-term things," I reply.

"How about that little friend of yours? Ms. Everdeen?" he smirks.

"I don't dig brunettes, remember?" I say in an annoyed tone. He is really getting on my nerves right now.

"Wow, touchy subject. I'll stop talking then," Marvel smiles. Everything seems like a joke to him. He probably even takes life as one big crazy joke.

We eventually land and check into our hotel. It's pretty nice, but not as nice as some of the ones I've stayed in before. I walk into my suite and the first thing I see is a little gift basket. I pick it up and examine it then place in back down and sigh. I need some fresh air so I text Marvel that I'm going outside. He tells me to be careful of the paparazzi. Slipping on some sunglasses and grabbing my hat, I head out the sliding glass doors to go to Times Square. I make sure to keep my head low so nobody notices me. I didn't know where I am going until I find myself in front of a Starbucks.

Luckily nobody recognizes me, yet. So I decide to stand there and look at the people around me. The bright lights and busy streets were fascinating. I miss being here. But something felt weird. I could feel a pair of eyes burning the back of my head. _God, I hope it's not an over-clingy fan._ I subtly glance in the direction of where my senses lead me. My eyes landed on a huge crowd gathered around something. I turn away uninterested. It must have been me being paranoid again. Then I hear clicking of heels, coming towards my direction. Oh no, hopefully she doesn't recognize me or else my cover is blown. I calmly stand still and pretend to admire a billboard that advertises an insurance company. I can smell her rosy perfume as she walks closer. It smells nice. I glance to my right to get a look at her. The woman has beautiful, long brown hair that flows like water and a toned, fit body. Her skirt and blouse hugged her curves perfectly. She looks away from my direction like she doesn't want to be noticed. As she approaches the door, I decide to be a gentleman and open it for her.

"Let me help you ma'am." I say in my low voice, which makes all the girls faint. She glances up and I finally get to see her face. She is stunning. Freckles adorn her flawless skin. Her lips are lush. The most striking feature is her gray, stormy eyes. She reminds me of someone but I couldn't figure out who.

"Thank you," the woman smiles.

"Anything for a beautiful woman like you, Miss," I smirk. She blushes then looks down. As the door closes behind her, I turn around to get a better look at her. Then it finally clicks. _Katniss? No it can't be. That's impossible, but possible at the same time._

I walk back to the hotel to think. _Man, I must be going crazy today. This can't be real._ I blame it on the long flight; too much travelling can take its toll. Probably being back in New York brings back memories. I open the door into the suite and plop on my bed with an exasperated sigh.

"Feel better?" Marvel walks into the room holding his laptop in his arms. I don't reply. "Stop being such a girl Cato. Jesus, if I didn't know better, I would have thought you were one already." I glare at his lame attempt to lighten the mood. "What's up man? I can tell you're not doing so great," Marvel asks as he sits next to me a chair, which is near the edge of my bed.

"It's nothing." I don't look at him

"Fine, but I know you're lying to me." He places his computer on the table in front of him

"Yeah whatever." I roll my eyes then turn around to fiddle with miscellaneous items on my desk. I pick up a glass vase containing a dozen of dark red roses.

"How about I tell you who you are interviewing tomorrow…kay kay?" he laughs, trying to get me to smile. But it just causes me to become more irritated.

"Don't ever say those two words again or else I will happily replace you with someone else," I snap, making it clear that I am annoyed. I still held the vase in my hands.

"Ok, calm down." He opens up his computer and types in things that I could not see. A sound pops up and then he smiles. His smile then turns into laughter.

"What's so funny?" I demand.

"'It's nothing,'" he replies mimicking what I said before.

"No, I'm serious Marvel. If you don't tell me what the fuck is making you laugh so hard, I swear to God I will kill you." The roses almost fell out when I abruptly moved my arm.

"Ohhh, you are going to love this…guess who you're interviewing tomorrow?" he tries to hide his smile but miserably fails.

"Well, I dunno. Why are you making me guess?"

"JUST GUESS YOU DIPSHIT!"

"Uh, someone," I say uninterested, staring at the design on the vase.

"Ok, you suck at this game," Marvel chuckles and turns back to face his computer.

"There are billions of people in this world and you expect me to guess who I'm interviewing tomorrow?"

"Techinally, there is only one important _g-i-r-l _in _your _world." He cracks another smile.

"What?" I stare at him stupidly. I drop in the vase. It shatters into a million pieces on the ground with an earsplitting noise. The roses lay beautiful on the ground despite being dropped, like a dead angel laying in a pile of dark ashes.

"It's Katniss Everdeen, idiot," he shakes his head laughing. The world stops right after he said those three words, minus the idiot part. _Katniss Everdeen. Katniss Everdeen. Katniss Everdeen? Katniss Everdeen! Holy shit! Now I must be dreaming or something. This can't be. _

"You mean, my Katniss Everdeen? The girl with the beautiful dark brown hair and stormy grey eyes?" I ask dumbfounded.

"Yes you dumbfuck, Katniss Everdeen. The one and the only." He looks up from his computer to see my reaction.

"HOLY SHIT!" I yell, sitting up with wide eyes. "HOLY SHIT!" I jump up to my feet.

"Keep it down man. There are kids in this building!" Marvel tells me.

"I don't give a fuck right now," I say. "When did you find out?"

"Today," he replies. "Her friend named Madge Undersee contacted me weeks ago demanding for Katniss to get an interview."

"Let me see the email." He gets out of the seat and lets me sit in it. Once he is out of the way, I immediately read the email. "Holy crap, wow. I can't believe that this is real, that I'm going to be able to see her again for the first time in ten years." I scan over the email again, amazed.

Then my mind goes back to the woman I saw when I was out in the streets of New York. There was a possibility that it was her, but I don't know. I will find out tomorrow.

"I'm happy for you bro," he pats my back.

"Thanks," I say, a bit too excited. Only Katniss can do this to me. She changes me into a different person. Not that cold douchebag in the news.

"I'll let you celebrate alone now…have fun and good luck on your interview tomorrow." Marvel shuts his computer and leaves the room.

Now I am left alone still standing next to the table. I decide to pass some time by watching TV.

When it is time to go to bed, I find myself not being able to fall asleep. I lay in bed awake for most of the night thinking about her. In the dim light cascading from my window, I glance at my tattoo.

**_3.21.2001_**

It is written elegantly in nice uniformed handwriting. I wanted something simple, nothing too flamboyant. This tattoo is a reminder of her. I got it during junior year when I was 16. It hurt like hell, but when I saw her reaction it was totally worth it. That was the last time I actually talked to her.

I was actually really nervous to show the tattoo to her. It would have been a problem if she didn't approve or didn't like it. Of course, if she didn't, I would have immediately removed it. God, back then I was whipped. I remember breaking y promise by not speaking her for two days because I was busy trying to figure out the right way to tell her the news. When I told Katniss, her reaction was so beautiful.

_"__It's a date," I smile. I flip the camera back so she could see my face. Katniss pauses for a moment and frowns a little. Crap…this was a mistake. She doesn't like it. I knew I shouldn't have gotten it. I try to hide the pain at best as possible. But then her slim face lights up and her stormy eyes grow wide. She gasps. Oh thank god she realizes. I laugh at her reaction._

_"__March 21, 2001," she whispers in awe. "I can't believe you got a tattoo of that date on your arm. But aren't you underage?" I did not answer her question. Instead, I say what I've always wanted to tell her._

_ "__That day turned my life around. I finally found a reason to live and to be happy because of music. You know, the world wouldn't be the same without music. It will be almost bland, boring even. Music lets us express ourselves, our feelings, our emotions." I stop myself so I didn't accidently blurt out something stupid that would make her run away or hate me forever._

Then I think about all those times I spent at her house when we were younger, playing our music with her dad. It was one of the best moments of my life. My mind drifts to random memories I had of her. It is still surreal that I will be seeing my old best friend. Will she be the same Katniss I knew and loved? Or will she be a completely different person. I don't know. But I know for sure is that this time. I won't let her get away like before.

* * *

><p><strong>As you can tell, I sort of got lazy at the end. It is currently 2AM and my brain refuses to function so please pardon the last part. I know it's not the best. Besides that, I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one will be in Katniss's POV during her interview, yay. I plan on alternating between the POV's (ex. Katniss's POV for one chapter and Cato's POV for the next). Or should I stick with just one? I don't know. YOU tell me! Leave a review below and I hope to get the next chapter of Our Story posted by Halloween! Then I will revise the mess from Found You. See ya next time!<strong>

**~catoniss4ever**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Happy April Fools Day! I promise you that this is a legit chapter (: No joke!**

**As some of you may know (since you have read my other story), my other fanfic – Our Story – is coming to an end. So that means I will be putting more time and effort in TOTS and maybe 'Found You'. Yay!**

**Please enjoy the third chapter of Taking on the Storm (TOTS)! This is in Katniss' POV**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything period**

* * *

><p>Katniss' POV<p>

As the large elevator brings me up to the floor in which Cato is meeting me, I find myself subconsciously fixing my outfit. I hate how short and tight it is, but Madge insisted that I wear it and would not take no for an answer. My outfit is a plain skin-tight black dress that is difficult to move in. It has a scoop neck in the front and the back that is too low for my taste, especially the front. I'm showing some cleavage, but I'm not baring it all out. God no, if I did, I would die. Thank goodness I'm wearing a pearl necklace which covers some of my skin. The dress ends right above my knees which is could be worse but isn't any better. For shoes, I'm in killer black heels, which I personally find challenging to walk around in them…I seriously don't know how models wear this crap. To top it all off, Madge allowed me to borrow her precious Chanel black leather purse. Madge thinks it looks sexy and classy. But I think it makes me look like a freaking prostitute.

I really didn't want to take this job because first of all, I quit music and second, I'm not ready to face Cato. I think of ways to mess up my interview, but in the middle of my thoughts, my phone dings. It's a text from Madge.

Hey girl! I hope you're having fun! Don't forget to look in the mirror before you walk in! I want your hair, dress, makeup, and everything to look perfect before you walk through that door. Oh and don't try to make yourself seem horrible during your interview just so that Cato won't hire you. I know he will hire you no matter what. But anyways, if I find out that you did that (I will trust me), I swear to god Katniss Faith Everdeen I will skin you alive then feed your skin and flesh to the wolves. Ya hear me? Good. Love ya. Don't mess up xoxo Madge (:

_What a good friend I have._ I roll my eyes at the text and send her a quick response. Then I put my phone back in my purse. _Damn, this elevator is taking its sweet time that's for sure._ The phrase 'sweet time' brings a blush onto my face as I remember what happened in the front lobby just a few minutes ago.

_"__Excuse me?" I said as I tried to get the front desk lady's attention. I was already late for the interview since Madge made me change from my "trashy outfit" to one that looked more sophisticated and business women like. The front lady does not say anything. Nothing. Didn't even acknowledge my presence. She was too busying typing on her keyboard right now to even notice me. "Urm, I__–" __I started but she interrupted me before I could start._

_"__Wait a moment," she replied as she continued to skim her long creamy fingers against the keyboard, not bothering to give me a glance at all. Wow, she could at least be considerate and at look up at me for one second or say please. Goodness; I'm turning into my manners teacher, Ms. Trinket, who I still find very annoying especially with her superficial bubbly attitude and squeaky, high-pitched voice._

_I checked the time again to see that I'm around ten minutes late. This was not a good first impression to a job interview. Wait, since when did I care about first impressions or trying to impress someone? Oh yeah, never._

_The lady seemed to forgotten that I was here waiting so that she could give me the key to get to Cato's room, but she was too caught up in whatever was in that computer of hers._

_"__Sorry miss, um. I have a meeting with Cato Evans for a__–" __I tried telling her again. She looked unfazed by what I'm saying until Cato Evans rolled out of my mouth._

_"__Cato Evans?!" she squealed in excitement, looking up at me for the first time since I got here. Oh so now you pay attention._

_"__Yeah err__–"_

_"__Katniss Everdeen right?" she interrupted again while clapping her hands together. Whatever seemed so important on her computer is long gone now at the sound of Cato Evans' name. She glanced at the clock along the wall. "Well you're around ten minutes late! You should have said something earlier! You don't want to keep Mr. Evans waiting," she exclaimed, her eyes wide. Are you kidding me? I could have been there faster if you weren't ignoring me for the past couple of minutes. "Let me call him right now to tell him that you're coming up." She pushed back in her chair and moved over to a wall which had a speaker on it, like those ones you see in the McDonald's drive through except it's built into the wall. Then she pressed a few buttons and a voice came on through the speakers. It's not loud enough for the whole lobby to her, but enough for people around her, like me, to be able to listen._

_"__Hello?" a deep voice asked through the speaker._

_"__Hello Mr. Evans! How are you?" the lady said in an overly enthusiastic voice. You can tell it's fake but it didn't seem to bother Cato. He probably gets this treatment all the time so it's nothing new._

_"__Better than ever. I'm having a sweet time. How are you Ms. Barilla?" Cato asked in a gravelly voice that probably made her die on the inside judging by her increase in breath. He talks to her like they're friends. Maybe they are. After all, she is the front lady person._

_"__Oh, I'm fabulous thanks for asking," she smiled and tapped her fingers on her thighs._

_"__I bet you are," Cato replied in a sultry tone, almost like a purr. She giggles in response. I roll my eyes…flirt. She turned back to look at me and her whole demeanor change. The lady gave me a once over and her face flashes in a split second on disgust. Then she faced the speaker once again. I glared at her. How dare she?_

_"__Um. You got someone down here waiting for the interview," she said, sounding completely uninterested…picking her nails while she was at it._

_"__Ms. Everdeen?"_

_"__Yes her. I'll send her up immediately since she's so late. Silly girl." When she said 'her', you could hear the venom in her voice. Then she giggled again. God, I hate that giggle. I just want to shove something down that throat of hers or strangle her. Both would be nice._

_"__Alright, thank you so much Ms. Barilla. I hope we can talk again soon. I love hearing your voice."_

_Jesus, is this what every one of their calls to each other sound like? I shift uncomfortably while I was standing. This was very awkward hearing these two openly flirting with each other. I thought Cato hated these types of girls…or at least that's what he told me. It didn't seem like he hated this two-faced bitch. Well, we haven't talked in a while so things must have changed. Whatever. I really don't think he cared about me anyways since he never bothered to return any of my messages._

_I tuned back into the conversation just in time to hear them ending their little not-so-subtle flirting on the speaker phone. It disgusted me._

_"__Oh, it was my pleasure," she purred through the speaker._

_"__Have a nice day love and I hope you have a sweet time in the front desk."_

_"__You too," she blushed. The speaker went dead._

_She turned back to me with a blank expression and hands me a pair of keys._

_"__Here's the pair of keys to get to Mr. Evans' floor. The floor number is 53 and room number 5309. You use this key only for the elevator because floor 53 can only be accessed with this key," she said in a bored tone and lamely hands me the keys using no effort at all._

_"__Thank you," I replied. I may hate her guts but I'm not a total inconsiderate bitch like her._

_"__Oh and tip for the future? Try not to be late next time. Mr. Evans doesn't like to be kept waiting…trust me. I know from experience," she giggled once again. I left without a word._

A ding interrupts my flashback and I focus on what's in front of me. I have now reach floor 53. A sigh escapes my mouth and I straighten out my tight dress, whispering in my mind what I will say in the interview.

I pass by endless amount of doors and hallways until I reach room 5309. Two bodyguards, dress like the typical ones you see in action movies, stand in front of a large, polished wooden door. Both of them don't move when I stand in front of them.

"Urm, hi. I'm here to–"

"We know. Mr. Evans is waiting for you. Please come in Ms. Everdeen," the guard on the right says with very minimal emotion. He gives me a curt nod and looks at his partner as if he were sending him a signal. Both of them look at each other through their black sunglasses and open the doors.

I thank them and walk in. The room is huge. Something that I've never seen in my life before. I marvel at the sight. The room is very elegant and spacious, decorated with much extravagant furniture. I look up and see that this suite has a high ceiling. The ground is white marble, smooth, polished, and shiny to the point where I can see my reflection staring back at me with curious eyes. I continue walking forward to find that there is a tan granite table in the center with a large vase of multifarious roses. It's truly beautiful. A crystal white and gold chandelier hangs above this table. The tiles stretches from the door all the way to the table then past that until it reaches a glass wall. My guess is that it's an outdoor patio judging by the flowers that I can spot from here. The whole wall in front of me is glass. I am able to see the spectacular view of New York City. It's beyond gorgeous…it's breathtaking. Off to the left of where I'm standing, there seems to be a bar there. Very modern and classy looking. It can fit around five to ten people counting by the chairs. And to the right is the living room judging by the beautiful glass table and all those couches and chairs around it. However, unlike the bar and the isle with the table, the ground is carpet underneath the tables and couches. I continue to gaze around the room taking in my surroundings. Wow, this is a nice place.

"Like it?" a voice says out of nowhere. I jump in surprise, not expecting the voice to interrupt. I know who the voice belongs to and I'm afraid to look at him.

"Um, yes," I smile nervously, but I quickly hide it with my mask that I put on when I can't let my guard down. I'm thankful that my back is turned towards him so he can't see my reaction. "It's lovely." I look at the roses one more time.

"Yes, indeed." He took his time speaking. Soft thumps begin to ring in my ears. He's walking my way. I stiffen in response and take in a sharp inhale. I do not dare to budge or turn around or else I may do something stupid. His footsteps are slow and quiet, but thanks to my attentive ears due to years of music theory and listening, I'm able to hear them. The waft of musky smelling cologne invade my nose and I almost sigh at the smell. Smells nice but I don't let it affect me. Now, he's behind me, my back towards him. I hold my breath. I can feel his heat coming off from him. Strength, power, and cockiness radiates off of him. Everything about him screams playboy. "How are you doing?" he asks close to my ear. His breath tickles my earlobe which sends a shiver down my spine but I try not to show it.

"I'm doing fine," I stutter slightly, trying to regain control. I swallow hard. "How are you?"

"Even better now. Thanks for asking." I can feel his smirk. "Ahh," he begins, "Where are my manners?" I hear a noise which sounds like palms rubbing together. "We should find a place to sit so we can start this interview."

I take a deep breath and turn around. I'm startled to see icy blue eyes stare back at me and I slightly gasp at the sight. I couldn't help myself. They are so blue. These heels, which give me around 3 to 4 inches of height, make me a few inches short than Cato.

"Ye–yeah," I replied attempting not to stutter again. _Control Katniss, control._

He makes a waving motions as to say 'follow me' and I comply. I walk behind him as he leads me through the living room. I look around again as I continue walking. We pass by the large wine red couch and the TV. Then we make a right and Cato opens the door facing us. The door leads us into a bedroom, Cato's probably. The only thing that I notice is a broken vase at the edge of the bed. We continue on until we reach another door. He opens in and the first thing I see is the long shiny glass table that stretches across the room. It's towards the back wall. On that table there are a few monitors, a couple of laptops and computers, and a vast amount of papers stacked everywhere. Behind the table is a cabinet full of stuff that I can't make out. But other than that, the room is pretty simplistic. In front of the work table, there are two plush chairs with a small wooden table between them. Unlike the view from where I first walked in, there is nothing fancy about this office except maybe the computers and other gadgets that he may or may not have. This must be where he spends most of his time doing whatever he does in here.

"Please sit," he says pointing towards one of those black velvet plush chairs. The chair adjusts to my weight as I sink down into it. The feeling is nice. "Would you like anything to drink? Some juice, water, coffee, or alcohol? Anything you want?" he offers in a polite tone.

"No thank you. I'm fine. But I appreciate the offer." I smile at his kind gesture. At least he's not a complete asshole…yet. Might be saying this too early.

"Ok." He plops down in his chair, the sound of air rushes through when he comes into contact with the chair. In his lap is a pen and a notepad. "Now let's begin, shall we? Name?" _Really? Is that question really necessary? He should already know my name, he even said it not only a few minutes ago. Jackass._

"Uh, Katniss Everdeen."

"I used to know this young girl named Katniss Everdeen too. We were best friends…Wow, what a coincidence," Cato says in surprise. It better be fake surprise or else his assistant is going to be digging his grave tonight.

"Really? I'm that girl," I give him a look that says 'are you kidding me?' which makes him laugh. I mutter 'stupid' underneath my breath. His eyes scrunch up and his cheat falls up and down with each fit of laughter. I cross my arms and glare at him.

"Ah, I see you haven't lost your fire," he chuckles, placing his hand on his chest.

"And I see you haven't changed one bit since the last time I talked to you," I retort, my arms still crossed and my eyes narrowed.

"I miss your spunk."

"Can we get back to the interview now?" I am irritated at him right now. How dare he leave me all alone for the last nine years then come back into my life and talking to me like nothing bad ever happened between us?

"Oh yeah…right," he mutters. Cato grabs his notepad again. "Age?"

"23." He writes that down in his notepad.

"Are you still in college or are have you graduated already?"

"I'm graduating this year," I explain, fiddling with my fingers. He nods and continues writing.

"What college?" he looks up from his notepad and waits for my reply.

"Julliard." Again, he gives me a nod and scribbles it down.

"What are you majoring in?"

"Music." To be honest, I didn't really want to major in music anymore ever since Peeta died and Cato completely ignore me. But Madge, being the friend she is, forced me to do it because she knows that I have a gift.

"Ok. Still following your songwriting goal I see," he raises an eyebrow at me.

"Um, no. Not exactly. My friend actually forced me to major in it. I wanted to major in something else other than music, something like business."

"Are you serious?" he almost shouts. I nod. Cato stops for a moment, probably taking in what I just said then leans back in his chair with a hand on his forehead. "That's a bunch of bullshit Katniss. You and I both know it."

"I'm serious. I quit music." I look at him dead in the eye. That's when he knows that I'm not lying.

"Why?" he asks, sitting back up and placing his hands back on his lap. His expression is curious as to why I gave up on my childhood dream.

"Because what careers can I get if I major in music? Even if I did, I would barely make anything."

"No, you're lying. You love music deep down in your heart. Music is rooted in your soul and you can't take that away even if you tried." My blood boils thinking about this guy's nerve. He acts like he knows me…but he doesn't. Not anymore. I was not the same person nine years ago. He doesn't know what I've been through since the day he left me alone. I try not a lash out at him, but I couldn't control myself. The words came flowing out in a shout.

"I have a good reason, okay! I don't want to talk about it," I sigh in exasperation, huffing. Cato looks equally as frustrated. _What is he moody about?_

"Fine," he grits through his teeth. His jaw is clenched. "We'll talk about something else."

"Good," I nod, still fuming a little. Cato lets out a loud sigh then picks up his pen once again and asks me the next question.

"What are your interest and hobbies?" Cato looks up from his notepad and into my eyes. I have to hold back a snort. _What type of question is this?_

"Uhm–"

"I just need to know so I can see how well you can fit in with the rest of my staff," he explains before I could say something.

"Oh." My face falls as I try to figure out something that I like to do, but I find nothing. "Well, I don't really have any hobbies. There's nothing I invest my time into anymore."

"There has to be something that you like to do," Cato presses, obviously trying to get an answer out of me.

"There is really nothing that I really enjoy doing every day." I think he gives up after I say this because after my reply, he crosses out something on the notepad.

"Tell me about your schedule. Are you busy most of the time? Or only on the weekdays? I want to know so I can work around it."

"I'm still in school so I that takes up my schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays every week. But other than that my schedule is not that packed until I planned something," I explain. "Oh and every Sunday I'm also busy because that's when I meet up with someone." I usually meet up with Gloss on Sundays since that's our "date-night out". I guess you can phrase it that way. It's the only day where we have all the time to ourselves.

"Who? Your sister, parents, friends?" I open my mouth to speak but he cuts me off before I can reply. "Or perhaps a boyfriend?" The last part of his question throws me off.

"This question is getting a little too personal, don't you think?" I reply back.

"Sorry, that was not my intention." He genuinely says, or at least I think it's genuine. "We just haven't talked in a while. I just want to get to know you better." I brush off t

"Um, in answer to your question. Yes I do," I say softly, glancing down at my hands.

"Ok," he nods. I sneak a quick look at him then look back down. The muscles in his face tighten. Only someone who was looking closely could see that.

I look up at him to see that he's staring at my hands resting on my legs. The air in the room changes. It's now thick. I can feel a sour vibe in the air.

"But other than that, I'm free all the other days," I say in attempt to break the tension forming.

"Alright," he nods curtly. He writes down other things on his notepad. After vigorously writing for a few more seconds, he clicks the top of his pen and sets everything down on the table. "Well, that's all I have for you today Ms. Everdeen. Thank you for coming, I appreciate it. My assistant will be contacting you in a few days to notify if you got the job or not." His tone in voice changed from casual to business-like really quickly.

Both of us stand up and I fix the wrinkles in my dress. He holds out his hand for me. I give him a quizzical look but take his hand anyways. His hands are large and gulf down my tiny, slender hands. They are rough but soft. I can feel callouses on his hands, probably from playing the guitar. I stand there in confusion of why he offered me his hand until Cato gives me a firm grip and shakes my hand. "It was nice meeting you," he smiles, "again," he whispers the last part under his breath, thinking that I wouldn't be able to hear it but I did.

"You too. Thank you for your time,"

"Oh, it was my pleasure. You are a lovely lady," he smirks. Is he flirting with me? I probably look so stupid right now. Never have I seen him like this before…it's strange.

I awkwardly bid my goodbye and scramble out the door. But before I could, a hand grasps my left arm holding me back. I slowly turn towards him again and raise an eyebrow. He inhales deeply.

"I was wondering if you would like to, you know, got out to get something to eat? I want to make up for how I treated you after I left." When he asks this question, his boldness seems to just have wash out of him because right now, he looks very nervous. "Just as friends. I promise," he quickly adds. "Besides, I don't engage in anything intimate with my staff,"

"Um. Sure I guess." I reply nonchalantly with a shrug. I repeated the words he just said once again in my head. Wait a minute did he just say what I think he implied? "Are you saying I get the job?" I ask incredulously. "I thought you have many more interviews to do?" He shrugs.

"I can just cancel them. Tell the people that I found my perfect match," he smiles again, but his face turns into not-so-subtle embarrassment after realizing what he just said. "Uh, I mean the perfect person to fill the job." He scratches the back of his neck with a flushed face. _This is new. Where's the cocky Cato?_

The second after I say that in my head, his whole demeanor changes and I can feel his oozing back into his body.

"Goodbye Katniss. Have a nice day." He opens the door for me.

"You too," I reply respectfully. Suddenly, he pulls me in close until my back is flush against his chest. A surprised gasp escapes my mouth. My body grows ridged in his arms.

"See you tomorrow at seven," he purrs into my ear. His arm reaches around towards my side and quickly retreats. I push him off and look back at him.

"I didn't even agree to eat with you that quickly," I say hardly. After what he just did, I begin to loath him again. I was actually starting to like him, until now. "And don't do that again. I have a boyfriend and I find that very disrespectful when you did that. Thanks." I storm out of the door not bothering to look back. Whatever kindness I had towards Cato is now gone.

I get back to the dorm and see Madge sitting at the dining table, reading a magazine. She excitedly looks up from the magazine when she hears the door open. Madge gives me a look then I anticipate the never ending questions that will soon flow out of her mouth.

Thankfully, I survive her nagging and curiosity about my interview with Cato. My talk with Madge actually went better than I thought it would be. Now she's happily in the shower, indulging at what I just told her. I leave a note for her on the table and head out to meet up with Gloss for dinner.

During our dinner, I tell him about my day and he tells me about his. I talk to him about the interviews and my plans while we eat our meal. He's very supportive like always. I don't think I should accept this job because I have my fair share of worries and fears. However, Gloss thinks I should take the job because he knows that somewhere deep down inside of me, my love for music will never fade and is still there, just concealed from the pain. He's absolutely right, but it's easier said than done. Gloss has 100% faith in me that I will succeed and one day fall in love with music again. He believes that this is my chance to find the music I lost and to carry out my father's wish.

After Gloss pays for our dinner, I reach into my purse to search for my mirror but instead, my hand grasps onto paper. I lift my hand out of the bag and open up my palm. A small note, scribbled messily, lays on my hand. I carefully unwrinkled it to notice that there a number written on there and the phrase with 'Call me' signed by 'C' No doubt that this came from Cato…but how? Previously memories from today flash through my mind and that anger is back again. I crumble up the paper and throw it back into my bag. Thankfully, Gloss doesn't notice this.

He drives me back to the dorm and bids me a good night. I walk up the stairs to room with Madge. She is already sound asleep when I enter the room. I quietly set my stuff down and change clothes. After finish brushing my teeth and washing my face, I trudge to me bed with a yawn and doze off on my bed and dream about endless amount of things.

A sudden ringing wakes me up from my sleep. I squint for my phone which is ringing and vibrating loudly. I pat my hand on the table until I feel the cool smooth surface of the screen and lift it up towards me. The brightness of my phones blind my eyes. I have to squeeze my eyes until they are about the size of slits to see why my phone is ringing. I look at my phone as my eyes slowly adjust to its brightness. Who the hell is calling me at 3AM? I pick it up, too tired to look at the Caller ID.

"Hello?" I speak softly.

"Did you get the note I gave you?" a voice immediately asks. I sigh, I should have known it was Cato.

"How the hell did you get my number?" I whisper furiously into the phone.

"Easy, I have my ways." I roll my eyes at his comment.

"What do you want?" I demand, growing irritated. I try to keep as quiet as possible so I don't wake Madge, but that's sort of difficult when I'm talking to Cato.

"Why didn't you call me?"

"I was busy. Now if that's it, I'm hanging up, bye." I press the end button before he can get another word. Then I turn my phone off so I wouldn't have any more distractions for tonight. After that, I fall asleep again, this time, with a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes haunting my dreams.

* * *

><p><strong>I finally busted out Chapter 3 of this story. I know…it took me awhile, like usually. Please don't kill me. I'm trying my best to update for you guys but it's been hard, especially with school in my way. But good news! They're releasing us for Spring Break this Friday and I'm very excited! Ok, enough about my life. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it (it took a lot of brain power, in which most of it is drained away during school). Anyways, please tell me what you think! Until next time (:<strong>

**~catoniss4ever**

**P.S: For those of you who are wondering about when I'm updating my other fanfiction, 'Our Story', I'll probably start typing up the next chapter during spring break. I'm very sorry I haven't started on it since the last time I updated that story! Please hang in there.**


End file.
